Robert Tighe appointed as Senior Vice President of Preclinical and Translational Sciences and Katherine Bell-McGuinn, M.D., Ph.D. appointed as Senior Vice President of Clinical Development
Appointments support Ottimo Pharma as it rapidly advances the clinical development of lead candidate, Jankistomig, its first-in-class dual pathway, biparatopic IgG1 therapy
IND clearance for Jankistomig is on track for late 2025
LONDON and BOSTON, Feb. 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Ottimo Pharma ("Ottimo"), an innovative biotech company developing one-of-a-kind PD1/VEGFR2 dual pathway antibodies to extend the lives of patients living with cancer, today announces the appointment of Robert Tighe as Senior Vice President of Preclinical and Translational Sciences, who will be leading Ottimo's preclinical programs and translational strategy, and Katherine Bell-McGuinn as Senior Vice President of Clinical Development, leading Ottimo's clinical development strategy and execution.
Robert (Rob) Tighe is an accomplished biopharmaceutical research executive with over 20 years of experience in preclinical and translational cancer therapy development, with a focus on immuno-oncology. Most recently, he served as Chief Scientific Officer at Ankyra Therapeutics, where he oversaw the advancement of the Company's novel anchored immunotherapy platform for intratumoral drug delivery. He has also held senior positions at TCR2 Therapeutics, Compass Therapeutics, and EMD Serono. Throughout his career, Rob successfully translated innovative immunotherapies into the clinic, contributing to six successful Investigational New Drug (IND) applications.
Katherine (Kathy) Bell-McGuinn brings decades of leadership in oncology clinical development. Kathy has held key executive roles at leading biopharma companies, including Chief Medical Officer at 858 Therapeutics and Vice President, Head of Oncology Early Development at AbbVie. At AbbVie, she oversaw early-stage oncology programs and played a pivotal role in advancing novel therapies from preclinical stages into clinical trials. Prior to this, Kathy held senior roles at Eli Lilly and Company, contributing to the development and execution of oncology clinical strategies.
David Epstein, Chief Executive Officer at Ottimo Pharma, said: "We are thrilled to welcome Rob and Kathy to Ottimo. Their combined expertise in immuno-oncology, clinical development, trial design, and execution will be invaluable as we progress Jankistomig, our PD1/VEGFR2 dual pathway antibody into the clinic."
Robert Tighe, Senior Vice President of Preclinical Sciences at Ottimo Pharma, commented: "Ottimo's innovative bifunctional approach, exemplified by Jankistomig, has the potential to redefine cancer treatment. I'm eager to collaborate with the world-class team at Ottimo to advance this promising candidate through IND-enabling studies towards clinical development."
Katherine Bell-McGuinn, Senior Vice President of Clinical Development at Ottimo Pharma, added: "Jankistomig's differentiated profile and unique mode of action could transform outcomes for patients with solid tumors, regardless of VEGF levels. I look forward to moving its development into clinical trials."
These strategic appointments come as Ottimo accelerates efforts to bring transformative cancer therapies to patients. The Company's lead candidate, Jankistomig, is a one-of-a-kind PD1/VEGFR2 dual pathway antibody, expected to enter clinical trials following an IND filing in late 2025.
About Ottimo Pharma
Ottimo Pharma is a private biotechnology company, co-founded by Medicxi and Jonny Finlay, that emerged from stealth in October 2024 to rapidly advance the clinical development of exquisitely designed dual pathway antibodies to extend the lives of patients living with cancer.
The Company's lead asset, Jankistomig, is a differentiated, first-in-class, one-of-a-kind, dual-pathway, biparatopic, single-agent IgG1 therapy that enables cooperative binding of immune checkpoint and angiogenic targets in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Unlike bispecific fusions, Jankistomig is uniquely engineered as an anti-PD1/allosteric VEGFR2 bifunctional antibody, designed to work independently of circulating VEGF levels (VEGF A or C) while reducing systemic Avastin-like side effects. This innovative approach aims to offer a wider therapeutic window for patients, with the potential to improve outcomes across multiple solid tumor indications. Ottimo is currently advancing IND-enabling studies for Jankistomig, with planned IND clearance in late 2025.
Ottimo is backed by a global syndicate of life science investors including Medicxi, OrbiMed, Avoro Capital, Samsara BioCapital, RTW Investments, Decheng Capital, Janus Henderson Investors, J.P. Morgan Life Sciences Private Capital, and Invus. The Ottimo board includes Francesco De Rubertis, Co-Founder and Partner of Medicxi, Peter Thompson, General Partner at OrbiMed, Mark Chin, Partner at Avoro Capital, and Srinivas Akkaraju, founder, and Managing General Partner at Samsara BioCapital, alongside David Epstein and James Sabry. For more information, please visit: www.ottimopharma.com.
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